Wednesday 23 December 2015

The Christmas Tag

I saw this tag on Meredith's blog (On Stories and Words) and have considered myself tagged. 

Rules:

... answer the questions (the rest just won't apply, so i shall bypass them)

Image result for christmas

What is your favorite Christmas treat?
Oh, this will be a hard tag! I guess I would have to go with the German butter cookies we always bake. But Marzipan potatoes and kringles are also so good! And the chocolate... 

Are there any favorite traditions your family has to celebrate Christmas?
This is a "Duh!" kind of question, because tradition and Christmas are basically the same word. But yes we do, (Lots!) St. Nicholas day is probably my favorite. It's on December 6th, the night before we clean our boots and set them by the fireplace, and in the morning they are filled with candy, chocolate and often a small present. I guess it's our substitute for not hanging out stockings.

How do you normally celebrate Christmas?
Well... we open all our presents on Christmas Eve! (Your mind just blew didn't it?) Well to us German folks the "Weihnachtsman" comes early. I have never opened my presents on Christmas day. Anyways, we go to church for the Christmas Eve service, then when we get home all the presents are laid out under the tree and our parents try to get us to eat some dinner (usually a very German Christmas Eve meal of potato salad, sausage and another food item) Then we put on the fireplace (because it's cozy) and we lay out some Marzipan, Kringles and cookies and then we open our presents. I like to go one at a time, so I can see what everyone got (and most enjoyingly, to see their faces lighting up!) But my siblings usually hold out for about two presents before "digging" in. We stay up till midnight (or longer) and then tear ourselves away to go to bed.  

Do you enjoy getting presents for your family and friends? Do buy them or go the homemade route?
Giving presents is the best! (Don't get me wrong, receiving is good) but for me, I like making people happy. And I usually do a bit of both, I buy some gifts and make others. Homemade gifts are a great way to go because 1) I enjoy making them and 2) I'm usually broke, or have "limited funds"

Is it cold where you live? Have you ever had a white Christmas?
Well I live in Canada so is it cold?... nope. We are looking at record-breaking temperatures this year, so a white Christmas has a 0.01% chance of happening this year. We had 15 degrees today... Yes I have had lot's of white Christmases, not always and often snow was sparse (but present nonetheless!) 

I finally get out of school and the temperatures go up! (I do so love sledding!) Mark my words, the day I have to walk to school we'll probably be looking at a blizzard...

What's on your Christmas list this year?
A piano


And my Mom insisted on a few other things being on the list so
-Stamp albums
-Dear America Diaries
-Paperdolls

What's your favorite Christmas song?
Funny. Real funny.

What is your favorite Christmas memory?
One year tried making a sled for my siblings. It didn't go too well, but then my Dad helped me put one together (a fond memory). It's a good sled too, heavy wood, supported 5 inches above the ground on a pair of skis. It's fast and smooth, and cuts through fresh snowfall faster than any storebought contraption,

What does your Christmas tree look like?
Lights in every colour, kind of drooping at the bottom where my 9 month old brother has been trying to reach the ornaments. And decorated with everything and anything, ranging from homemade to expensive balls and glass.

What are you reading this December? Anything festive?
Well I've been reading the Hunger Games, and am waiting to borrow Mockingjay when my friend returns from visiting family (*clears throat* ...Abby...)

Nothing festive, I prefer christmas movies to Christmas books, but if you know of a good Christmas-time book be sure to let me know!

Are you an organized little elf, or are you still finishing up on Christmas Eve?
Well as you know, in my family you have to be ready before Christmas Eve. Most years my presents are wrapped in November, but this year I'm still rushing to get everything done. (And you see, in recent years my family has taken to adding another sibling every few years so it gets more difficult to check people off the list after a while)

How early do you get into the Christmas Spirit?
Differs every year. I was pretty swamped with.. life, this year so it probably didn't start to feel like Christmas until the second advent at the most.

Do you make any Christmas crafts? Decorations? send physical Christmas cards?
Well I make christmas gifts, sometimes I'll make some decorations. I don't send any cards, if I find the time I make some and give them to family and friends.

What's the menu for Christmas day?
Turkey! I real North American Christmas meal, otherwise it would have been a German meal of meat of some sort (naturally:) probably potato salad and red cabbage, maybe carrots and peas.

What makes it FEEL like Christmas for you?
 Decorating the house, baking the first batch of Butter cookies, and Christmas music playing on the radio.

Do you have any relatives coming for Christmas?
Not this year, they live an ocean away.

What famous Christmas character do you most identify with? (Scrooge, Grinch, elf, Santa, etc.)
Gosh I don't know... probably Santa, as I said giving gifts is the best! (Not  trying to sound like
pious nun, I mean it:)

If you were to start a new tradition what would it be?
Hmmm, I think at some point I will "adopt" new traditions and keep some of the ones I cherish now. Like when I get married, most likely I'll marry a Canadian (or American, probably not a German) so there would be new traditions to adopt (Like hanging up stockings), but some I will keep and pass on to my children (Like St. Nicholas day) so it be more of a compromise thing.

What Christmas movies do you like to watch this time of year? Or Which one is your favorite?
Home Alone 1 and 2. Best Christmas comedies ever.

What is your favorite Christmasy book, or book with a Christmasy theme?
I like a short version we have "Little Women: Christmas"

So I will leave this tag mostly open but I will tag one person: Abby at Castles in the air. (Because I want to see your answers, and I know you are likely to find the time to do a tag)

Frohe Weihnachten! 



1 comment:

  1. I'm back, I'm back!! I'll get it to you tonight!

    Thanks for the tag!

    ReplyDelete